Chapter 4 - And Then, There Was Darkness

Harlan tried to vary the pace of his steps, speeding up and slowing down, swerving left and right, making his way to where Beatrice was. A few quick shots were fired and hit the ground, very close to his feet; a second wave hit the wooden shield again; the impact knocked him down slightly, but once again he planted his foot on the ground, preventing his legs from bending.

As the boy ran down the narrow, dirty street, trying to escort Angelica to the restaurant, Beatrice - still clutching her rifle and the makeshift wooden spear - tried to think of a way to help them. As if she had just had a brilliant idea, she ran to the restaurant and, with the help of her mother and friends, grabbed a round table that had been dismantled, hanging her rifle on a rope behind her back as she left the room she was in and walk quickly out of the establishment.

As soon as the woman left, she came across Harlan, literally beside the restaurant's entrance. The young man looked into her eyes and she nodded, almost as if they had just telepathically communicated. Beatrice stared at him for just a second, for some it might have seemed like an awkward and crazy moment, but for them, it was similar to a method of showing their affection and a way to pass on simple ideas.

There was no need for words. Words would only get in their way in a situation like this. They knew it and they were the only ones who needed to know.

Harlan nodded at her, and Beatrice threw herself in front of him with a quick run, holding the wooden circle shape and shielding Angelica and Harlan from the spears and darts fired by the creature. Seizing the moment, Harlan took Angelica's hand and stroked it gently before pointing to the restaurant. He refrained from hugging her, given the situation, and was glad he could get her safely to this place.

Although the girl was very intelligent, at that moment her intellect would not help her in the situation, and therefore it was better for her to take refuge in the establishment. Harlan smiled at her, and so she did. They both knew what was on their minds, and their eyes conveyed messages that didn't need to be said to be understood.

Their happiness and relief were even greater than before, knowing that some of the people important to them were also alive. Being united in one place and staying hidden to survive this global catastrophe surreptitiously.

It was a cowardly way to deal with all that was unfolding but it was effective.

Above all, the group was sure of one thing: as long as they managed to get through the dangerous situation they were in at the moment, they would undoubtedly go after the military and then ask for their help.

"You need to get in there", he said, his eyes going back and forth from his sister to Angelica, ''It will be safer for you.''

''What about you two?''

''We'll be fine, don't worry.''

She nodded and ran inside the restaurant, being greeted by Annie - Harlan's mother - and her group of friends, who luckily survived and were sheltered inside that place. It was fortunate that this establishment was owned by the Edward family; Lynda's parents; a young woman that was one of Angelica's friends.

BAM!

As soon as he confirmed that the door had closed in front of him, Harlan glanced at his sister, a sound catching his attention.

RUUURL

"Take it!", she dropped the spear she was holding with her free hand and kicked it, sending it rolling toward Harlan. ''I know you'll make better use of it than I could, even doing my best.''

A smile crossed her face, Beatrice's confidence in the abilities of her first apprentice as well as her only beloved brother was absolute and she did not doubt that the spear would have more of an effect on his hands than hers, even when she was a former special forces soldier.

Harlan glanced at the spear, then looked at a window of the establishment, right behind him, where several eyes watched him through small slits in the yellow curtains that covered it. It was just a moment for Harlan and his sister, everyone knew that. After all, none of the others there had as much experience in physical combat as this odd pair of siblings, who had been training for as long as they could call themselves people.

"I liked what you said," Harlan said with a serious expression on his face, taking the spear in one hand and holding the piece of wood with the other.

He assumed a stance specific to melee battles, even if his opponent was someone who fought dirty and kept its distance from him and his sister. The boy didn't seem to be bothered by the numerous spears and darts of odd-looking materials and appearance being fired towards him. He looked at Beatrice, and they both positioned themselves covering their sides, almost in a semicircle, closing most of their openings without having to say anything.

"We're going to have to hurry!", shouted Harlan. ''Before this thing decides to go away and call its bestial friends.''

The floating being, which didn't seem to be the same as the ones in the square, pointed its hand in their direction, and the darts and spears continued to hit the makeshift shields made with pieces of wood. The impact was terrible, and their arms ached, but they knew that if they weakened there, they would be killed immediately.

''How many bullets do you have?''

''Twelve remaining.''

They fell silent for a second; the strange being floating in front of them was getting more and more furious, not liking that those two stopped their attacks. However, it was strange that he didn't use attacks that were capable of blowing people up or disintegrating them, which made Harlan wonder if that being was really one of those he had seen in the square.

"What do I do?" the boy screamed. A familiar mix of adrenaline and terror surged through his body, and he awaited instructions from the most trusted figure he knew: his sister.

''I need coverage. Just that.''

The boy stopped abruptly, making it look like he was deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes got bigger and he gave a light, muffled laugh, apparently knowing what he was supposed to do. Despite looking like he had gone mad, Beatrice didn't find Harlan's way of acting strange, after all, she was already used to his bizarre ways.

"I'll give you enough time for you to shoot," Harlan said seriously, walking in front of his sister and slowly breaking the formation they'd taken on just a few minutes ago. ''I don't care what you think, and all I ask is: shoot as soon as you see the opportunity. Even if one of the shots hits me, you'll have to shoot so we can get rid of that flying shit.''

With that line, Harlan turned and ran to a spot about six feet from where the woman was. Beatrice didn't agree with the idea of ​​shooting her brother and would have liked to have told him so, but it seemed the boy didn't give a damn what she had to say and only cared about the survival of others, even if his life has been put at risk in doing so.

''Fuhh'', the woman sighed deeply, seeing that she was out of options. ''Fuck it then, let's follow your plan to the letter.''

Beatrice took the opportunity that Harlan was buying her and took the rifle off her back - black and weird, of enormous size that the people in the restaurant and Harlan had never seen before. She didn't seem to mind her surroundings, her thoughts filled with how little time they had to deal with what was in front of them. After all, there was no time for hesitation.

Harlan looked at the gun in his sister's hand, and from the way the woman held it, and the weight it seemed to have, he knew it was loaded and ready to fire at any moment.

BACK!

Another dart hit the wood as she raised the barrel of the gun, pointing straight ahead and narrowing her eyes. Then another was attached to the wood, and a cycle that seemed to have no end ensued. As Harlan advanced, another volley of darts hit the ground like a sudden, brutal hailstorm.

He was afraid? For sure. Would he stop there? No way.

He would keep going until they were done with that damn floating monster, covered in a tattered brown overcoat but with a few black stripes that differed from the other three Harlan had seen in the square.

He looked back, his deep, trembling eyes meeting Beatrice's. The woman's eyes were still, glowing with vitality and will. With or without her few strands of gray, she suddenly looked twenty years younger.

It was obvious that she didn't like the situation she found herself in at all, but her heart was beating so fast that the adrenaline in her blood was racing at an abnormal rate, pushing her to the limit of her physical capacity.

"Shoot, Bea!" shouted Harlan. ''And aim well, because you only have twelve bullets. Please don't miss any!''

With that 'order', Harlan turned and ran nimbly towards a spot he believed to be a blind spot in the bizarre creature's vision, about five meters away from where he was previously. At the same time, Beatrice pointed her gun at the flying being at the entrance to the street and fired two shots in a row.

BANG, BANG

The bullets stopped in midair, very close to the creature's chest, almost as if the being had some psychic power capable of performing such action. After all, it wasn't impossible that he actually did, as he was able to summon darts and spears out of thin air.

The woman was intrigued by what had just happened, and her face had an expression of bewilderment plastered all over it. However, she didn't waste a second, repositioning herself once more and pointing in the bastard's direction again.

''Damn, he's tough as fuck.'', the young man muttered.

Harlan observed: the only way to hurt it was to distract him. The boy knew he needed to get the attention of that flying shit so he wouldn't notice Beatrice's next actions.

Harlan glanced quickly at his two hands and tightened his grip on the two objects he was holding. The creature was focused on Beatrice's presence, ignoring him almost completely and possibly not considering him a threat.

''Then let's see if I'm nothing, you son of a bitch.''

The boy took a deep breath, closing his eyes and opening them twice. Soon after, he looked at the being a few feet away from him and made a difficult decision in his mind. Harlan rushed forward in a heartbeat, fear, and despair giving him physical abilities that far surpassed his normal capabilities. Harlan tossed the wooden shield aside, attracting the attention of the creature who saw the object fly away and fall to the ground with a thud.

As soon as he dropped his shield to the ground, Harlan gripped the wooden spear tightly with both hands, braced himself, and concentrated, now only inches from the freak.

CRAAACK

The silhouette's head swiveled bizarrely toward the boy with an odd snap as if his muscles weren't in their normal position and his bones were thumping without distinction, which terrified Harlan but didn't stop him. The creature extended its right hand towards him while the left one was facing downwards making some strange and indecipherable movements that would make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Harlan didn't hesitate, and his eyes that didn't stop moving for even a second, were able to catch the emergence of four darts and two spears that were fired in his direction. The shots raced wildly towards the boy, cutting through the air and nearly killing him when he narrowly avoided it, jumping to the side at the last possible second.

He took advantage of the enemy's moment of distraction and launched himself at the creature, rolling down when the being tried to punch him hard, then getting to his feet in a second. His knees ached, his thighs were sore, and his legs felt like they would lose movement if he pushed them that far once more.

He pointed his spear at the creature, and his eyes were glued to its chest. Harlan put all his impetus and strength into that attack, after all, he had learned from experience in the games he played: 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞.

SHREEK

An arm that wasn't there appeared out of nowhere, materializing from who knows where or from whom. The limb extended above Harlan's head, holding what appeared to be one of those yellow stones embedded in the black tubes the humanoid figure carried. The stone glowed, that thing was trying to do something to harm Harlan. Beatrice saw that and fired once more, hearing a sharp thud as the bullet hit the rock that the floating arm was carrying, then saw the object drop to the ground, right next to her brother.

Harlan's spear penetrated the creature's chest and Beatrice aimed at the being once more. The boy felt a grotesque sensation in his hands when the object penetrated the chest of the creature in front of him, it was nothing like described in movies and books. He felt the weapon go through the being's body as if it were made of jelly, its bones being broken and the splinters and debris from the spear dispersing within the being's body. Blood oozed from the hole, but not much, as the veins were being plugged by the sharp object inserted into the wound.

The youngster felt sick and wanted to throw up, but he quickly got himself under control and planned his next move.

Harlan pulled the spear from the being's chest and spun back, trying to gain momentum for another attack. At the same moment, he risked averting his eyes at Beatrice. The woman was holding the huge black gun with a serious look on her face and a certain tension being exuded by her heavy breathing.

BANG!

And then, there was a noise and suddenly four small objects flew towards the opponent, a flash in their wake acting like a streak of smoke. The attacks, both the bullets fired by Beatrice just a few seconds ago, and the spear attack performed by Harlan in an attempt to injure the being; hit him with full force, causing him to fall to the ground helplessly.

Harlan pulled the spear back firmly and repositioned himself, his gaze fixed on the creature's face. His spear was covered in vivid red and his current appearance made him look like a lunatic.

The being's arms trembled as he began to bleed violently, he tried to move, but he didn't seem to have the strength to do anything. Harlan approached with light steps and pulled back the hood of the brown overcoat that covered the creature's face, and what he saw made him even more horrified than before.

''What the hell?''

In his mind, that being must surely be a mysterious thing, perhaps even a group of aliens that escaped from some contingency facility...

But that thing was human. His pale white skin contrasted with the blood that oozed from several holes in his body and it was impressive that he was still alive. The crazy guy looked at Harlan, while Beatrice ran toward them with quick steps.

A crooked, evil grin spread across its face from ear to ear, making Harlan's hairs stand on end.

''𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒, 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝑜𝓇𝒹... 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓋𝒾𝓋𝑒.''

*NOTE: Italicized phrases and words are languages ​​that Harlan or some other character cannot understand.*

Indecipherable words in an unfamiliar language poured out of his mouth like a wave, leaving Harlan confused. The man made an odd sign with his fingers, crossing them while his mouth made slow, bizarre movements. He looked one last time at Harlan and then yelled at a level so loud it could have left anyone deaf.

''𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝒜𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻, 𝒯𝐻𝐸𝒴'𝑅𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸, 𝒯𝐻𝐸𝒴'𝑅𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸 , 𝒯𝐻𝐸𝒴'𝑅𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸''

He repeated the same strange words over and over again, making Harlan alert and also making him realize that they were no longer safe here.

BRAAM

A loud boom came from the dark sky and the silhouettes of the square flew higher, now in sight of where Harlan stood. They were coming in his direction at frightening speed and that wasn't good news from afar.

''FUCK!''

''GET OUT NOW!'', He yelled, running as fast as he could on tired legs, towards the restaurant.

All that fighting; All that effort and bloodshed were in vain.

And now he knew: The real battle for survival was about to begin.